Improvement in apparatus for sewerage



W. ATKINSON. APPARATUS FOR SEWERAGE, &c.

No, 38 ,544.' Patented May 19, 18631 [71 re 22% r WWW/ W m: Nomi isasCO, PHOTO'LITNO. WASHXNGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM ATKINSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR SEWERAGE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patcnt No. 38,544, da'ed May 19,1863; antcdated October 26, 1862. I

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLLI'A-M ATKINSON, of the city'ot Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a I w and usefulapparatus for collecting, carrying away, and depositing in a suitableplace the sedimentary matter which passesout from sewers atany grade,the deposits formed in docks, harbors, rivers, bays, or on bars, or thesolid matters that may be held in the waters thereof; and I doherebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, in which-- Figure l is a. plan of the apparatus.Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section ofthe'san're.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This apparatus, which I denominate the floating sanitarysewerage-receptacle and 'suction dredging-boat, consists of a floatingvessel capable of being propelled by steampower or by other means,having within it one or more deposit-compartments, whose capacity is avery considerable proportion of that of the whole vessel, (provisionbeing made for buoyancy,) for the reception of sewerage deposits or ofmuddy or other deposits obtained from the bottoms of docks, harbors,rive-rs, bays, or other. waters, or from bars, or from a stationarycollecting-reservoir or reservoirs which may be arranged at the outletof asewer, and in which a partial filtration may be effected to obtainthe deposits in a more condensed form, or for the collection of solidmatters that may be suspended in such waters while in an agitatedcondition, such vessel bein g fitted withpumps or their equivalents, andI furnished with suitable suction, delivery, and discharge pipes fortaking up the said deposits or solid matters with more or less water anddelivering them into the before-mentioned compartment orconipartments ofthe vessel in which the saiddeposits or solid matters are retained,while the water is nearly all expelled.

through filters fitted to the vessel, the deposits or solid matters socollected being intended to be conveyed away by the vessel to bedischarged, where it cannot be returned by the reflux or change of tideor current.

The principal object of the invention is the remova-lof deposits whichhave been or are delivered from sewers at their outlets but it may beused general] y for the'removal of heavy deposits from the bottoms ofdocks, rivers, bays, harbors, and other waters, or the solid ordecomposing matters that maybe suspended in the waters thereof, and alsoof the sunken or floating decomposing or pntrefyingorganic matter formedin rivers, streams, or 'other waters, and thereby serves not only toprevent the contamination of the atmosphere, but to prevent in a greatmeasure the-formation ofmud banks and deposits which require to beremoved by digging and the filling up of docks and under piers, and thusto prevent injury to harbors.

To enable others to, construct and use my apparatus, I will proceed todescribe its construction and operation.

The hull of the vessel may be specially constructed for the purpose, orthe hull of a vessel of suitable form and capacity may be obtained andconverted to the purpose. Thedaposit compartment or compartments A A,for the reception of the sedimentary deposits or solid matters, may. beconstructed and arrangedin the middle of the hull, with buoyantcompartments B B at the sides of or around them. The buoyantcompartments B B may contain the boilers D D for the generation ofthesteam to drive the propelling-engine O and to operate the pumps, or theboilers may be arranged on deck. The propelling or pumping engine orengines may be arranged on deck or in the compartments B B. The pumps EE Fand F F may'also be arranged on deck, as represented, or below thedeck and below the Waterline, so as to be always charged.' Ihe pumps maybe either of .the reciprocating or rotary kind, or of both kinds, andmay be driven by the same engine as is used for propulsion, or may bewhat are known as steam pumps, but, generally speaking, I prefer to userotary pumps, as obstacles-in the suction pipes of such pumps may beremoved by reversing their motion.

E E represent steam-pumps, and F F l?" rctary pumps, tobe driven by thepropelling engine, having connected with them pipes G G H H H H and J? PGr G and H H may be used as suction-pipesin taking the deposits or muddywater into the depositcompartments A A; or as discliarg pipes inemptying the compartments of mu r'other solid or nearly solid matter,theiraction being "changed by reversing the direction of the rotation ofthe pumps in thecase of the rotarypumps, or by a suitable system ofconnections and valves or gates in the case of reciprocating pumps.These pipes G G H H may be made with flexible joints, toenable them tobe directed to the point from which it is desirable to take the depositsor muddy water, when used as suction-pipes,such direction being effectedby light derrlclts Q R or their equivalents. The pipes H H aredelivery-pipes, through which the deposits or muddy water is deliveredby the pumps into the compartments A A. The pipes P P are suction-pipesfor discharging the mud or other nearly solid matter from thecompartments A A. These pipes are tobe closed by valves or gates o 0 atall times but when discharging the when discharging the saidcompartments by tther means to be presently described.

K K are dischargepipes leading overboard from the compartments A A forthe purpose of discharging water from the said compartments while thedeposits and-solid matters are being collected. therein, such pipescommunicating with the said compartments near the top thereof, and beingfitted with filters ,L L, which constitute one of the essential elementsof my inv.ent-ion,-their object being to retain the deposits or solidmatters in the said compartments, while the water is beingv forcedthrough the said filters and pipes by the overflow consequent upon thesaid compartments being filled to a higher level than the water outside, aidedby the pressure produced in the said compartments by thepumps, the said compartments being made air-tight, or nearly so, at thetop by means of the covering-deckof the vessel.

The pipes, K K may be. continued downward;-

outsi'de of the vessel nearly to'the level of the surrounding water, ortheir outer orifices may be fiushedwith the exterior of the vessel, orother forms of discharge-passages from the filters may be adopted. Thefilters may be of any suitable-construction varying according to thecharacter of the deposits. pumped into" t e reservoir. For instance,floating or decomposing matter requiring a-filtering material, of adifferentcharacter from that required by dense 'and heavy deposits,andrequiring a filter of different form and construction, and when thematters taken into. the compartments contain a larger proportion ofwater the filters must be of larger size or have larger outlets. Thefiltering material may be sponge, granulated mineral matter, or coarsefibrous material, but provision should be made for cleaning the filtersfrom time to time or forrendering them self-cleaning, as by reversingtheir position to cause the direction of the flow 'of. water throughthem to be reversed; and they may be provided with means of adjustmentas the nature of the process and state compartments A A, or

of the sewerage and, deposit matter may require, for instance to.open'thefiber of the filsen the same, and there- .the pipes K K, for thepurpose of closing the said pipes while thefilters are taken out throughsuitable openings to be cleaned or repaired, or to have the filteringmaterial changed when necessary.

Scuttles or large rotary-disk valves I may be provided inthe bottoms ofthe compartments A A for letting out the deposits or nearly solidmatters which have been col-- lccted therein, such scuttles or valves tobe opened by any suitable mechanism provided on deck;

The operationof the apparatus is as fol lows: It is propelled totheplace from whence the deposits or solid matters are to be collected,the valves m m are opened, and those 0 0 are closed, and the pipes G Gand H H.

having been properly directed, the pumps are set in operation, thedirection in which the pumps are worked being such as to make the saidpipes serve as suction-pipes in the case of rotary pumps; or theconnections of the said pipes having been first properly adjusted forthe purpose as hereinbefore specified in the case of reciprocatingpumps.' The deposits, with more or less water, or the muddy water, isthen pumped into the compartments A A through the pipes lEl H, and whenthe said compartments become -full the water pumped in passes ofi'throughthe filtersL L and pipes K .K, and the said compartments become.graduallyfilled-up with deposits or solid matters. Incaseofthedepositshaving accumulated initheir bed in so compact a form as to bevery 'difticult of removal by suction one or more of the pumps may beused to .t'orce a powerful current or currents or water into,

among, and under them to soften them and bring. them to. a suitablecondition by that means. When the contents of the compartments havebecome snfi'iciently dense or confc'entrated, the" operation of thepumps is stopped, and the said contents may bev discharged into othervessels to be carried away,

or upon land orplaces provided for their reception, and used or preparedfor agricultural purposes, (when the deposits are found valuable,) orthe said contents may be discharged and used for filling up low lands01" lots, or carried off by the vessel itself and discharged into deepwater beyond the action of the reflux of the tides or of returncurrents,such discharge being efl'ected either by the action of thepumps or by opening the scuttles or valves I. If the pumps are used forthis purpose, the valves 0 o are opened, and those m m are closed. Thepipes .H H are also closed by suitable gates or w of'a freer passage off the sewerage matter as position to be valves, and in the ease ofreciprocating pumps the connections of the pipes G G and H H are soadjusted as tomake the said pipes disch argepipes before setting thesaid pumps in operation; or, in the case of rotary pumps being used,they are set in operation in a direction to make U G and H Hdischarge-pipes. On the pumps being set in operation the contents of thecompartments A A are pumped out. In discharging by the pumps, orafter-havin g discharged as completely as possible by means of thescuttles or valves I, one or more of the pumps mayhave the connectionsof its pipes so arranged, or have such direction given to its rotation,that itmay force clean Water from outside the vessel into thecompartments A A to loosen or stir up the solid matters or any remainingportion of them to enable the said matters to be discharged, that thecompartcompartment or compartments AA, it may be held in place byanchors or by'dropping into the mud or on to the bottom or led below theWater, a cylinder furnished on its periphery with, teeth or cutters andattached to the vessel at the head or stern or such other part as may bedesirable, said cylinder being so combined with the engine on board thevessel that it may have rotary motion given to it for the purpose ofstirring, cutting up, or loosening the bottom bed or deposits when of ahard or compact character, to bring them to a condi tion to be taken upby-the suction-pipes.

I do not claim, broadly, the removal of deposits of solid matter fromthe bottoms or beds of docks, rivers, bays, harbors, or other watersby'suction,but, without confining myself to the precise details hereindescribed,

I What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- An apparatus whose principal elements consistof a floating vesselhaving one or more compartments or any portion of its interiorconstructed and arranged for the reception of such deposits, or of muddyWater, or water containing solid matters, a pump or pumps and pipes orotherequivalent means of delivering the such deposits or water into saidcompartments or space, one or more filters or strainers to provide forthe escape of water from said vessel, and the retention of the depositsor solid matters therein, and suitable means of discharging thedeposits'or solid matters, the whole combined to operate substantiallyas and for the purpose herein specified,

-W1LLIAM ATKINSON.

Witn csses OROSSMAN Lyons, GEORGE STOWE.

